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SURGEONS OPERATING TABLE.

N0. 542,060. Patented July 2,1895.

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SURGEONS OPERATING TABLE.

No. 542,060. Patented July 2, 1895.

FIE-l v n I W/TNESSES. INVEN'TOH aha rles R. 13 evpf/z NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. LEN TZ, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SURGEONS OPERATING-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,060, dated July 2, 1895. v Application filed March 13, 1895. Serial No. 541,532. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. LENTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgeons Operating- Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and arrangement of that class of physicians and surgeons furniture used by them principally in surgical and gynecological operations.

Said invention is embodied in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure 1 isa perspective view thereof; Fig. 2, a top or plan View with the top removed; Fig. 3, a central vertical sectional view with the upper portion tilted or inclined backwardly on its pivots and the hinged portions of the top partially raised; Fig. 4, a transverse sectional view with the top and its frame tilted to one side and said top raised; Fig. 5, a fragmentary view of a portion of the frame and the combined desk and drawer adjacent thereto, showing how said desk-d rawer may be supported on said frame; Fig. 6, a fragmentary perspective View illustrating va-. rious positions of the leg-rests and steps; Fig. 7, a rear or under side View of one of the legrests and steps; Figs. Sand 9, side elevations of the same in different positions; Fig. 10, a fragmentary View showing a shelf in position; Fig. 11, a sectional view of the foot-rest, showing different positions by means of dotted lines; and Fig. 12,a detail sectional view, as seen from the dotted line 12 12 in Fig. 2.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the main frame of the structure; B, a tilting-top frame mounted thereon; O, a I'ackbar, by which, when the top has been tilted longitudinally, its position may be secured; D, a rack-bar, by which, when the top has been tilted transversely, its position may be secured; E, foot-rests; F, leg-rests, and G a shelf.

The frame A serves as a support for the other portions of the structure. It contains the swinging cabinets A and A the drawers A and A and the combined desk and drawer A. The cabinets A and A contain shelves and are adapted to swing on pivots, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, so that the shelves of one of them shall be convenient to an operator upon one side of the table and those of the other convenient toan operator upon the other side of the table, and these shelves or cabinets are adapted to carry towels, lint, bandages, and other appliances or devices which are needed in conducting the various operations to. be performed on the table. Said cabinets are preferably held closed by swinging latches a thereon, which are adapted.

to'engage with catches a on the upper member of the frame A, as shown most plainly in Figs. 1 and 10.

The drawers A and A are ordinary drawers, except that they are double-ended, and thus capable of being used from either side of the structure, and are adapted to contain surgical instruments and other appliances.

The combined drawer and desk A is similar to the drawers A and A, except that it has a desk-top, and is thus adapted to be used for a writing-desk. As shown most plainly in Figs. 5 and 2, a support 1 and catches 2 are secured to the frame B, by means of which the desk-drawer A may be supported in position for use as a desk. This desk-drawer A is shown as havinga box-like compartment at each end, with a central. larger compartment covered by a hinged lid a which is a very convenient arrangement for the purpose.

The top frame B is an open framework supported upon a rocking bar A of the frame A, which said rocking bar is carried by pivots at the ends, as shown in Fig. 4 and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which said bar is strongly connected to a longitudinal bar B by a triangular (preferably metal) bracepiece a". Said bar B consequently moves with therocking bar A, and the frame B is mounted directly thereon by means of pivots, as shown most plainlyin Fig. 3 and by dotted lines at one end and by full lines at the other end in Fig. 2, so that the frame B will tilt from side to side thereon. These two bars A and B are thus so connected as to form by themselves a rigid cross, and this cross, being provided at all the ends with pivots, renders the structure capable of being rocked or tilted in both directions, as may be desired. The top, which is secured upon the frame B, is preferably divided into a transverse strip or bar B which is rigidly attached to said frame, and two hinged sections B and B which are adapted to be adjusted to varying positions, as may be required. tion B has hinged thereto a brace B which is adapted to engagein one of several notches on the longitudinal bar B which bar is secured at one end to the rear end of the frame B and at the other end to a transverse bar B rigidly secured in said frame, as shown most plainly in Fig. 3. The varying positions of said hinged top section B are easily secured by varying the engagement of the brace B with the notches, as will be readily understood. The hinged top section B has a brace B hinged thereto, which may either rest upon the bar B or upon the top of that portion of the frame B immediately adjacent thereto, as may be desired, thus providing for two raised adjustments of said hinged section B. .Both said sections will, of course, when the braces are folded against them, lie flat upon the top of the frame B.

As before explained, the top as a whole, including the frame B and its hinged top sections, may be tilted in either direction. The rack-bar O, hinged to the bar B at its upper end and adapted to have one of its notches engage with a projection c, secured to the frame A at the other end, is the means whereby the top as a whole is locked in such position as it may be adjusted to. A crank-shaft C, a connecting'rod O crank-shaft O and springs C and G are, as is shown most plainly in Fig. 2, the means whereby this rack-bar is operated. The crank-shaft C has a bend therein which rests against the rear side of the rack-bar and normally holds it into engagement through the medium of the spring 6, which said spring is of considerable strength. WVhen it is desired to disengage this rack-bar and readjust the top, the operator, by means of the crank c on the shaft C operates this mechanism, rocking the shaft Oand compressingthespringOt Thelighter spring 0 which is attached directly to the rack-bar, then pulls said rack-bar out of engagement, and the frame is free to be tilted as desired. Releasing the pull upon the crank 0 enables the springC to force the rack-bar back into engagement with the projection 13, and thus the top is locked in its new position.

When it is desired to tilt the top sidewise it may be done in a similar manner. The rack-bar D is pivoted to the crossbar B and engages with a projection d on the bar A. A pivoted device D, also mounted on the bar A, bears against the rear side of this pivoted rack-bar D, being impelled thereto by the spring D while a lighter spring D acts oppositely thereto, and when said device D is withdrawn operates to throw the rack-bar out of engagement with its catch, a connectingrod D and a bell-crank lever D", by which the device D may be pulled away from the rackbar D, compressing the spring D and permitting the spring D to throw said rack-bar out The sec-- of engagement. When this is done, the top may be tilted sidewis e, as may be desired, as indicated in Fig. 4, and when tilted to the desired position, releasing the pull on the lever D will permit a re-engagement of the parts and a locking of the top in the desired position.

By the disposition of the tilting and locking mechanism shown I secure an important advantage. All the space within the lower or rigid portion is left free for the cabinets and drawers, unobstructed by treadles, shafts, or rods, and the capacity of the structure is thus greatly increased and its effectiveness greatly improved.

The foot-rest E is pivoted to a shank E, which in turn is secured to a bar E and is adapted to be locked in position on said bar by a cam e. The bar is secured to a swiveling standard E mounted in a socket S on the corner of the top frame B. Said standard E is bifurcated to receive the end of the bar E and is provided with two or more notches, with one of which a cross-pin e on the extreme rear end of said bar E may engage. Changing the engagement from one of these notches to another of course varies the position of the bar and the foot-rest carried thereby. WVhen it is in the lower notch, as shown most plainly in Fig. 11, it is held out in substantially horizontal position; but when the engagement is in the upper notch, as shown by the dotted lines in said figure, it mayincline downwardly. The foot-rest E normally is substantially parallel with the bar E but it may be tilted to various positions, as shown by the dotted lines in said Fig. 11.

The leg-rest F and its various positions and operations are illustrated most clearlyin Figs. 6, 7, S,and 9. As shown by Fig. 6, it is capable of attachment either to the end or side of the top frame B, said frame B being provided with two sets of attaching-catches 3 4 5 for that purpose. gagement of these leg-rests as a whole are effected by slipping the structure sidewise, the former being effected by crowding the projecting points 6 7 8 beneath or within the catches 3 4 5, and the disengagement being effected by pulling them out from under said catches. The varying positions illustrated enable the operator to place these rests where desired and to position them for the particular work in hand. These leg-rests are composed of the main part F, hinged to the part F at the top, and are provided with steps F at the bottom. They may hang vertically or be set at an angle, as shown. This is accomplished by means of the brace F hinged to the part F and having an engaging point adapted to engage with one of a series of notches in a plate f, as shown most plainly in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

The brace is held into engagement by means of a crank on a rock-shaft F said crank being held against the back or under side of said brace by a spring F. A crank-arm f en- IIO The engagement and disenables the operator to rock the shaft F distending the spring and releasing the brace,'so that it may-d rop out of engagement with the notches. When this is done, the leg-rest can be swung freely on its pivot to any desired position. Releasing the force on the cranktendency of this spring, whenthe pawl is disconnected, is to throw the step down in line with the leg-rest, so as to form a continuation thereof. Said spring also tends to force the pawl into engagement with the catch formed by the lower end of the plate F when the step has been swung on its hinges to the position indicated by the drawings, and when the parts are in this position said step is strongly and rigidly supported and forms a bearing forthe foot ofthe patient in some cases and as a step to assist in mounting the table in other cases. Simply throwing the pawl F out of engagement with the catch formed by the lower end of the platef is sufiicient to enable the spring to exert its force and throw the step into line with the regular rest, as shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 9.

r The shelf G is, as shown in Fig. 4, when not in use, a fragment of the top section B to which,in such cases,it'is connected by means of its arms G, which enter slides G secured to the under side of said top section B. This shelf is capable of being removed from this position and placed upon the end of the frame A, just below the frame 13, by inserting the arms G in the sockets 9, provided for that purpose. When so placed,it serves as a rest for a vessel, which may be needed in conducting operations, to contain water or other liquid.

Commonly, when this shelf is in use, the legrests and steps connected thereto are either removed altogether from the structure or secured upon the sides. 7

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is- I l. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of the frame-work provided with a support 1 and catches 2, and a combined drawer and desk A adapted to be either put in position as a drawer, or removed and used as a desk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of the main or rigid frame-work A, and a top or tilting frame-work B, the crosslike structure composed of the bars A and B secured together and having pivots in their ends, the pivots in the ends of the bar A resting in bearings in the frame A, and the pivots in the ends of the bar B resting in bearings in the frame B, whereby tilting in both directions is secured, and mechanism for controlling said tilting, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of the main structure, a rock-bar A pivoted in said structure, a pivoted structure mounted upon said rock-bar, and mechanism, consisting of the rack bar 0, the rock-shafts O and 0 located in the upper portion of the table, the connecting rod C and the springs O and 0 whereby the tilting of the frame can be controlled, and its adjusted location secured, and all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of the main structure, a tilting frarn e mounted thereon and adapted to tilt in both directions, mechanism whereby the longitudinal tilting can be controlled, and mechanism, consisting of the rack-bar D, the device D, springs D and D levers D, and connecting rod D for controlling and adjusting the transverse tilting, all said mechanism being located withinthe upper or tilting portion of the table, above and free from the cabinets and drawers below, substantially as shownand described.

5. The combination, with a surgeons operating table, of the foot rest E pivotally mounted on a shank E, said shank, a bar E on whichsaid shank is adjustably mounted, a cam e whereby said shank can be locked in adjusted position, and a bifurcated standard E having two or more notches with which a cross-pin on the end of the bar may engage, whereby varying positions of the several parts may be secured, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with a surgeons operating table, of a leg rest hinged thereto, a hinged brace interposed between said leg rest and the structure to which it is connected, a notched plate with which thepoint of said brace will engage, a rock-shaft, and a spring foroperating said brace, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of a hinged leg-rest F, a foot-piece or step F hinged thereto, an arm F secured to said foot-piece or step, a pawl F hinged to said arm, and the spring F connected to said pawl at one end and to the leg rest at the" other, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination, in a surgeons operating table, of a shelf Gformed of a part of the top and provided with arms G and. brackets g into which said arms may be inserted, said shelf being thus adapted to form both a portion of, the 'table top or a shelf, at will, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 11th day of March, A. D. 1895.

CHARLES R. LENTZ. [L. s]

Witnesses:

JAMES A. WALSH, H. D. NEALY. 

